St Mark's Clocktower Museum

Address: Piazza San Marco, 30124 Venezia VE, Italy

Website: https://www.civicity.venezia.it/

Hours: Open 24 hours (exterior); interior guided access varies

Admission: Free (public monument)

The St Mark’s Clocktower (Torre dell’Orologio) is a Renaissance clock tower in Piazza San Marco, Venice, marking the entrance to the Merceria. It was built between 1496 and 1499 and serves as both a civic timepiece and an astronomical clock.

Commissioned and designed in the late 15th century by the architect Mauro Codussi, the tower was completed at the end of the 1400s and has been maintained and repaired over the centuries to preserve its mechanical dial and figures. Its clock mechanism and exterior decorations underwent periodic restorations to keep the astronomical functions operational.

Sited on the north side of Piazza San Marco, the tower connects the square to the main shopping route (the Merceria) and sits between the Procuratie buildings near St Mark’s Basilica and the Piazzetta.

• Astronomical dial: The clock face includes an astronomical dial that shows the hours, the phases of the moon and the signs of the zodiac.
• Hour strikers: Two large bronze figures on the roof strike the hours; they are commonly called the “Moors” and are a distinctive mechanical feature of the tower.

Piazza San Marco is reachable on foot from most central Venice points; vaporetto stops at San Marco (Lines 1 and 2) and nearby Riva degli Schiavoni. From Santa Lucia station expect a 25-30 minute walk across the bridges and along the waterfront.

• Visit at dawn for nearly empty piazza and best photos of the clock and the winged lion of St. Mark.
• Avoid the main tourist throngs by entering the square via the Procuratie Vecchie side streets rather than from St. Mark's Basilica.
• If interested in mechanics, ask if there are demonstrations or visits to the inside mechanism - these are occasionally available through guided tours.